Verification of portable consumer devices

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses, methods, and systems pertaining to the verification of portable consumer devices are disclosed. In one implementation, a verification token is coupled to a computer by a USB connection so as to use the computer&#39;s networking facilities. The verification token reads identification information from a user&#39;s portable consumer device (e.g., credit card) and sends the information to a validation entry over a communications network using the computer&#39;s networking facilities. The validation entity applies one or more validation tests to the information that it receives from the verification token. If a selected number of tests are passed, the validation entity sends a device verification value to the verification token, and optionally to a payment processing network. The verification token may enter the device verification value into a CVV field of a web page appearing on the computer&#39;s display, or may display the value to the user using the computer&#39;s display.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/178,636, entitled “Dynamic Data Authentication,” filed May 15,2009, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety byreference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

As methods and devices for engaging in financial transactions haveincreased, old problems such as fraud and counterfeiting persist.

One of the primary sources of fraud, which is prevalent in the creditcard industry, is skimming. Skimming refers to the electronic copying ofa card's magnetic stripe data to create counterfeit cards.

Skimming is predominantly a phenomenon afflicting static magnetic stripebased transactions. This is because the magnetic stripe, which is placedon the back of a transaction card and stores a variety of data on threeseparate tracks, is a passive medium. In other words, the digitalcontent of the magnetic stripe can be perfectly copied, without anydifference between the copy and the original.

One of the primary means by which skimming can be prevented is for theconsumer to closely monitor the whereabouts of his transaction card.This may allow the consumer to prevent the card from being swipedthrough inappropriate devices. However, as contactless cards evolve, theclassic skimming problem comes along with it when using static data. Infact, in a wireless environment the opportunity to skim magnetic stripedata is more prevalent. In a wireless environment, a potential skimmerneed not physically possess the card to be skimmed nor have access toany of the physical equipment (e.g., POS terminal, communication lines,etc.) which is required for skimming in a wire based environment. Askimmer can, without the knowledge of the consumer or merchant,intercept the wireless transaction and copy the data being transmittedfrom the card to POS terminal.

To address the above problems, a dCVV or a dynamic card verificationvalue can be used. For example, various systems and methods forgenerating dCVV's are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/642,878 entitled “Method and System for Generating a DynamicVerification Value” filed on Aug. 18, 2003, and in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/764,376 entitled “On-Line Payment Transactions”filed on Jan. 29, 2008. Both of these applications are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirely for all purposes.

In addition to generating a dCVV, a dCVV can be more effective forpreventing fraud when it is securely received by a consumer. However,securely receiving and using a dCVV cannot overly interfere with aconsumer's experience conducting a transaction. A consumer might not usethe dCVV or a consumer might conduct fewer transactions if theinconvenience of receiving and using a dCVV is too great.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to addressing the aboveproblems, and other problems, individually and collectively.

SUMMARY

Apparatuses, methods, and systems pertaining to the verification ofportable consumer devices are disclosed.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a verificationtoken for obtaining a device verification value for a portable consumerdevice. The exemplary verification token comprises a peripheralinterface adapted to couple to a peripheral interface of a computer, areader adapted to read identification information from portable consumerdevices, a computer-readable medium, a data processor electricallycoupled to the peripheral interface of the verification token, thereader, and the computer-readable medium, and code embodied on thecomputer-readable medium that directs the data processor to performvarious actions. In an exemplary implementation, the verification tokencomprises code that directs the data processor to communicate with acomputer by way of the verification token's peripheral interface and toaccess to a networking facility of the computer, code that directs thedata processor to establish communications, using the networkingfacility of the computer, with an entity that can provide a deviceverification value (e.g., a validation entity, or a gateway incommunication a validation entity), code that directs the data processorto receive identification information read from a portable consumerdevice by the reader, code that directs the data processor to transmitat least a portion of the received identification information to theentity (e.g., validation entity or gateway) way of the networkingfacility of the computer, and code that directs the data processor toreceive, after transmitting said identification information, a deviceverification value from the entity by way of the networking facility ofthe computer. The verification token may send the identificationinformation to the computer in a number of forms, including: (1)unaltered form (“clear form”), (2) encrypted form, (3) hashed formed(e.g., encoded), (4) signed form, (5) or any combination of these forms.These forms may be generated by the portable consumer device, theverification token, the computer, or any combination thereof. Inaddition, the verification token and the entity (e.g., validation entityor gateway) may perform a mutual authentication process before theverification token sends the identification information. As used in theclaims, the term “entity that can provide a device verification value”encompasses a validation entity, a gateway, or any combination thereof.

In one implementation of this exemplary embodiment, the above codes andidentification information are stored independently of the computer andare secure from programs (including spyware and other maliciousprograms) running on the computer. In this implementation, theidentification information is put in secure form (e.g., encrypted,hashed, signed, or combination thereof) by the verification token beforethe information is provided to the computer. Accordingly, securing theinformation is not dependent upon the security of the computer.Symmetric or asymmetric keys may be used for encryption and signing. Thekeys for a verification token may be unique with respect to otherverification tokens. Keys, and particularly symmetric keys, may be basedupon a uniquely assigned serial number for the verification token, whichthe token communicates to the validation entity and/or gateway. Both theverification token and the validation entity and/or gateway may have ashared secret on how to derive a key from the serial number, such as bymanipulating and/or replacing selected digits of the serial number. Anumber of keys may be derived from the unique serial number usingrespective shared secrets. Thus, the challenge and response messagesused in a mutual authentication process may be signed using respectivekeys derived from the serial number.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method ofobtaining a device verification value for a portable consumer device.The exemplary method comprises establishing a communications linkbetween a verification token and a computer, the computer having anetworking facility; establishing a communications session between theverification token and an entity that can provide a device verificationvalue (e.g., a validation entity and/or gateway) using a networkingfacility of the computer; reading identification information from aportable consumer device into the verification token; transmitting theread identification information from the verification token to theentity (e.g., validation entity and/or gateway) through thecommunications session; and after transmitting the identificationinformation, receiving, at the verification token, a device verificationvalue from the entity (e.g., validation entity and/or gateway) by way ofthe communications session. The identification information may betransmitted from the token to the computer in a number of forms,including: (1) unaltered form (“clear form”), (2) encrypted form, (3)hashed formed (e.g., encoded), (4) signed form, (5) or any combinationof these forms. These forms may be generated by the portable consumerdevice, the verification token, the computer, or any combinationthereof. In addition, the method may include causing the verificationtoken to authenticate the validation entity and/or gateway, such asthrough a mutual authentication process, before transmitting theidentification information to the validation entity and/or gateway.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method ofusing a verification token. The exemplary method comprises coupling averification token to a computer using a peripheral interface of thecomputer, the computer having a networking facility, the verificationtoken comprising a peripheral interface adapted to couple to aperipheral interface of a computer, a reader adapted to readidentification information from portable consumer devices, acomputer-readable medium, and a data processor, the token beingconfigured to read identification information of a portable consumerdevice using the reader and to obtain a device verification valuetherefor from a first entity (e.g., a validation entity and/or gateway)using the networking facility of the computer. The method furthercomprises presenting a portable consumer device to the reader of theverification token to obtain a device verification value for theportable consumer device, and providing the obtained device verificationvalue to a second entity. The second entity may be involved with atransaction between itself and a user of the verification token.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to avalidation entity that provides device verification values toverification tokens. The exemplary validation entity comprises acomputer-readable medium, a data processor electrically coupled to thecomputer-readable medium, and code embodied on the computer-readablemedium that directs the data processor to perform various actions. Theexemplary validation entity further comprises code that directs the dataprocessor to communicate with a verification token over a communicationsnetwork with a computer disposed between the verification token and thecommunications network, the verification token being coupled to thecomputer by way of a peripheral interface of the computer and configuredto access a networking facility of the computer, the verification tokenbeing configured to read a portable consumer device for identificationinformation, and to cause at least a portion of the identificationinformation to be sent in encrypted form to the validation entity usingthe networking facility of the computer. The exemplary validation entityfurther comprises code that directs the data processor to receiveencrypted identification information sent by the verification token,code that directs the data processor to decrypt the encryptedidentification information, code that directs the data processor thedata processor to apply at least one validation test to the decryptedidentification information, and code that directs the data processor totransmit, if the at least one validation test is passed, a deviceverification value to the verification token. Further embodiments mayinclude transmitting the device verification value to a paymentprocessing network.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to avalidation entity that provides device verification values toverification tokens. The exemplary validation entity comprises acomputer-readable medium, a data processor electrically coupled to thecomputer-readable medium, and code embodied on the computer-readablemedium that directs the data processor to perform various actions. Theexemplary validation entity further comprises code that directs the dataprocessor to communicate with a verification token over a communicationsnetwork with a computer disposed between the verification token and thecommunications network, the verification token being coupled to thecomputer by way of a peripheral interface of the computer and configuredto access a networking facility of the computer, the verification tokenbeing configured to read a portable consumer device for identificationinformation, and to cause at least a portion of the identificationinformation to be sent to the validation entity using the networkingfacility of the computer. The verification token also being configuredto cause a serial number and an encrypted message to be sent to thevalidation entity using the networking facility of the computer. Themessage is encrypted by an encryption key, with the serial number andencryption key being uniquely assigned to the verification token. Theexemplary validation entity further comprises code that directs the dataprocessor to receive encrypted the serial number, the encrypted message,and identification information sent by the verification token, code thatdirects the data processor to apply at least one validation test to theserial number and encrypted message, and code that directs the dataprocessor to transmit, if a selected number of the one or morevalidation tests are passed, a device verification value to theverification token. Further embodiments may include transmitting thedevice verification value to a payment processing network.

In each of the embodiments described above, and in each of theembodiments described below, the communications between the computer andthe validation entity may be facilitated by, and/or conveyed through, agateway (e.g., a proxy server, server entity, etc.) that is disposedbetween the computer and the validation entity. The gateway may act asan intermediary between a plurality of verification tokens and theirassociated computers on the one side, and a plurality of validationentities on the other side. The gateway may receive one or more initialcommunications from a verification token (via a computer incommunication with the token), and may determine from information in theone or more initial communications an appropriate one of the validationentities to use to fulfill the token's request for a device verificationvalue. For example, each verification token may be configured to operatewith portable consumer devices issued by many different issuing banks orother such entities, and one or more of the validation entities may beconfigured to process requests from portable consumer devices issued byrespective issuing banks or other such entities. The gateway maydetermine an appropriate one of validation entities to use based uponthe identification information that the token read from a portableconsumer device and sent to the gateway in an initial communication. Inone implementation, the gateway redirects the token to the determinedappropriate validation entity, with further communications occurringdirectly between the verification token and the appropriate validationentity. In another implementation, the communications between theverification token and the appropriate validation entity may be conveyedthrough the gateway (after the gateway has initially determined theidentity of the appropriate validation entity based upon one or moreinitial communications with the token). This latter implementation maycomprise relatively simple passing through of communications between thetoken and the appropriate validation entity with minimal processing bythe gateway, or may comprise having the gateway virtually present itselfas the appropriate validation entity to the verification token. Suchvirtual presentation may involve the gateway decrypting each messagefrom the verification token, communicating with the appropriatevalidation entity to formulate a response to the token's message, andencrypting and sending a response message to the verification token. Thegateway may also conduct one or more validation tests on behalf of theappropriate validation entity, particularly those related to validatingthe verification token. In this case, the gateway does not need to sendto the appropriate validation entity those communications it receivesfrom the token that pertain to validation tests that the gateway ishandling. The gateway may be associated with, or operated by, a paymentprocessing network.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method ofvalidating a portable consumer device presented to a verification token.The exemplary method comprises communicating with a verification tokenover a communications network with a computer disposed between theverification token and the communications network, the verificationtoken being coupled to the computer by way of a peripheral interface ofthe computer and configured to access a networking facility of thecomputer. The verification token is configured to read a portableconsumer device for identification information, and to send theidentification information in encrypted form to the validation entityusing the networking facility of the computer. The method furthercomprises decrypting identification information received from theverification token, and applying one or more validation tests to thedecrypted identification information. The method further comprisestransmitting, if a selected number of the one or more validation testsare passed, a device verification value to the token. Furtherembodiments may include transmitting the device verification value to apayment processing network.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method ofvalidating a portable consumer device presented to a verification token.The exemplary method comprises communicating with a verification tokenover a communications network with a computer disposed between theverification token and the communications network, the verificationtoken being coupled to the computer by way of a peripheral interface ofthe computer and configured to access a networking facility of thecomputer. The verification token is configured to read a portableconsumer device for identification information, and to send theidentification information to the validation entity using the networkingfacility of the computer. The verification token is also configured tosend a serial number and a message encrypted by an encryption key to thevalidation entity, with the serial number and encryption key beinguniquely assigned to the verification token. The method furthercomprises receiving the serial number, encrypted message, andidentification information from the verification token, and applying oneor more validation tests to the serial number and encrypted message. Themethod further comprises transmitting, if a selected number of the oneor more validation tests are passed, a device verification value to thetoken. Further embodiments may include transmitting the deviceverification value to a payment processing network.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a methodcomprising reading identification information from a portable consumerdevice into a verification token temporarily coupled to a computerthrough a peripheral interface; establishing communications between averification token and the computer, the computer having a networkingfacility; and establishing communications between the verification tokenand a validation entity using the networking facility of the computer.The verification token may be detachable coupled to the computer. Thecommunications between the verification token and the validation entitymay comprise a communications session.

To reiterate, the communications between the computer and the validationentity in each of the above embodiment may be conveyed through a serverdisposed between the computer and the validation entity, as describedabove.

Further details regarding embodiments of the invention are providedbelow in the Detailed Description with reference to the Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates some exemplary embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method embodiment that can be used by averification token.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary method embodiment that can be used by auser of a verification token.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method embodiment that can be used by avalidation entity.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary implementation of a computer-readablememory that can be used by a verification token.

FIG. 6 illustrates an verification token and computer using USBconnectors in the peripheral interfaces.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary identification information that can besend by a verification token and used by a validation entity.

FIG. 8 illustrates additional exemplary embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to the verification of portableconsumer devices. A portable consumer device comprises a device thatholds identification information pertaining to an account held by a userwith another entity, which is typically an entity that holds, extends,or credits items of value to the user (e.g., monetary funds, credits,debts, etc.). Portable consumer devices encompass credit cards, chargecards, debit cards, bank cards, prepaid cards, access cards, securitycards, and other cards that identify an account held by a user withanother entity. The cards are capable of existing in both passive forms(e.g., card with a magnetic stripe) and active forms (e.g., integratedcircuit cards, smartcards), and further encompass portable electronicdevices that, in whole or in part, function as such cards. Such portableelectronic devices can include memory cards, account tokens, fobs,stickers, cellular telephones (including near-field communicationsphone), keychain devices (such as the Speedpass™ commercially availablefrom Exxon-Mobil Corp.), personal digital assistants, other mobileelectronic devices, transponders, smart media, and pagers.

The identification information held by (e.g., embodied on) a consumerportable device comprises at least an account number, and preferably atleast one of the following: a digital fingerprint of a magnetic stripeof the portable consumer device, or a variable datum that varies eachtime the portable consumer device is read for its identificationinformation, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The magnetic stripe carries atleast the account number of the device. The account number may comprisealphanumeric characters. The digital fingerprint of the magnetic stripeis representative of the distribution of magnetic particles that formthe magnetic stripe, and is generated by a specialized card reader thatsamples the distribution of magnetic particles when the card is swiped.The variable datum typically comprises number characters, but maycomprise alphanumeric characters. The values of the variable datum varyin a way that is known to both the portable consumer device and anauthorization entity, the latter of which may be an issuing bank or apayment processing network. The variable datum encompasses the dynamicCVV (“dCVV”) and CVC3 card verification values generated by smartcards(both the contact and contactless forms). The datum values may bepre-stored in a computer-readable medium of the device and in acomputer-readable medium of the authorization entity, or may begenerated by each of the device and the entity as needed (e.g.,“generated on the fly”) using a confidential algorithm known to thedevice and the entity or by a known algorithm that uses confidentialkeys or confidential information. The variable datum may comprise, ormay be accompanied by, a counter value that indicates the number oftimes the portable consumer device has generated the variable datum; thecounter value may assist the authorization entity in retrieving thevariable datum from the entity's computer-readable medium, or ingenerating the variable datum from the algorithm. However, a countervalue is not necessary, and the authorization entity may deduce thenumber of times the device has generated the variable datum from thehistory of authorization requests made for the device, or an algorithmthat does not require a counter may be used.

The identification information may further comprise the name of theaccount holder (e.g., the user), the expiration date of the card,service codes, and discretionary data. As an example, the identificationinformation may include the conventional “payment data” stored on thetracks of the magnetic stripe of a conventional credit card (e.g., Track1, Track 2, and/or Track 3).

The identification information of a portable consumer device is read bya reader, which is an electrical component that can read theidentification information from a portable consumer device and providethe identification information to another electrical component. A readermay comprise one or more of the following: a magnetic stripe reader(which may include fingerprint sampling circuitry), a card contactreader, and a contactless reader, the latter of which is commonly knownas an RFID reader (RFID being an acronym for radio-frequencyidentification). A reader for reading fingerprints of magnetic stripesmay include a security module that comprises a proprietary algorithmthat generates a digital fingerprint from the sampled fingerprint dataand that encrypts the digital fingerprint with a nonce word using anencryption key. Readers are predominantly found at point-of-saleslocations of merchants.

A typical credit card transaction flow using a portable consumer deviceat a point-of-sales location is described next. The user's portableconsumer device is provided to the user by or on behalf of an issuingbank. The issuing bank extends credit to the user, represents the userin credit card transactions, and pays merchants for the purchases madeby the user. A user presents his or her portable consumer device to amerchant at a point-of-sales location to pay for an item or service. Themerchant uses a reader to read the user's portable consumer device, andsends the identification information read from the device along withmerchant's information and the transaction amount to an acquiring bank.The merchant may also read the portable consumer device for the printedcard verification value (e.g., the CVV value printed on the backs ofmany credit cards), and may send this along as part of the transactioninformation sent to the acquiring bank. The acquiring bank represents,and vouches for, the merchant in credit card transactions. The acquiringbank forwards the transaction information to a payment processingnetwork, such as VisaNet™, for authorization. A payment processingnetwork generally encompasses a collection of one or more dataprocessing server computers, subsystems, networks, and operations usedto support and deliver one or more of the following: authorizationservices, exception file services, and clearing and settlement services.Payment processing networks encompass bank processing networks,credit-card payment processing network, etc. An exemplary paymentprocessing network may include VisaNet™. Exemplary payment processingnetworks are able to process one or more of the following: credit-cardtransactions, debit-card transactions, and other types of commercialtransactions. A payment processing network may use any suitable wired orwireless network, including the Internet, to communicate with acquiringbanks and issuing banks.

Prior to the occurrence of a credit-card transaction, the paymentprocessing network has established a protocol with each issuing bank onhow the bank's transactions are to be authorized. In some cases, such aswhen the transaction amount is below a threshold value, the paymentprocessing network will authorize the transaction based on informationthat it has about the user's account without consulting the issuingbank, and will accept the liability if the transaction turns out to befraudulent. In other cases, such as when the transaction amount is abovea threshold value, the payment processing network will forward thetransaction information on to the issuing bank for verification andauthorization. As part of the authorization process, the payment networkor the issuing bank may verify the digital fingerprint or the varyingdatum provided by the portable consumer device. The digital fingerprintis stored at the issuing bank, and may be securely provided to thepayment processing network by the issuing bank for storage andsubsequent use. The algorithm for generating the varying datum is storedat the issuing bank, and may be securely provided to the paymentprocessing network for storage and subsequent use. As also part of theauthorization process, the payment network or the issuing bank mayverify the printed card verification value (e.g., CVV), which is storedat the issuing bank, and may be securely provided by the issuing bank tothe payment processing network for storage and subsequent use. Thedegree to which the payment processing network is involved in theverification of the consumer portable device and the authorization ofthe transaction is typically configured according to the wishes of theissuing bank. Once the transaction is authorized, the payment processingnetwork sends an authorization indication to the acquiring bank, whichsends the authorization indication on to the merchant. In order toreduce fraud, merchants are not allowed to store digital fingerprints,variable datum, and printed card verification values (CVVs) for morethan 24 hours.

When a user wishes to make an online purchase with a merchant over theInternet, the user types in the credit card account number, cardholdername, expiration date, and the printed card verification value intorespective fields on the merchant's checkout page. In this case, thecard's magnetic fingerprint or the card's variable datum is not used inthe transaction, and they are not available to the payment processingnetwork or the issuing bank to aid in verifying that the card wasactually present during the transaction. Accordingly, there is a greaterrisk of fraud with such online purchases. For example, a store clerk cancopy down the account information and printed verification value duringa transaction at a point-of-sales location, and can later use the copiedinformation to make an online purchase. As another example, a hacker caninstall spyware on the user's computer to intercept the accountinformation and printed verification value, and use it to makefraudulent purchases at other online merchants. Other avenues ofpotential fraud exist. Embodiments of the invention are directed tomitigating these types of fraudulent activity.

FIG. 1 illustrates some exemplary embodiments of the invention in thecontext of an online purchase. A general overview description of theembodiments and components shown in the figure will be given, followedby more detailed descriptions of the components. Shown in the figure areicons for a user 1, the user's portable consumer device 5, the user'scommunication device 7 (such as a cell phone), the user's computer 10,the merchant's website 20, and a first communications network 31 thatenables the user's computer and the merchant's website to communicatewith one another. The first communications network 31 may include theInternet, a telecommunications network (e.g., a wireless network, cellphone network, a telephone network, a cable network, or any combinationthereof), a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a homerouter or gateway coupled to one of the above networks, or anycombination of the above. Also shown in FIG. 1 is an acquiring bank 50for the merchant, an issuing bank 60 for the portable consumer device 5,a payment processing network 70, and a second communications network 32that enables the payment processing network 70 to communicate with eachof the banks 50 and 60. The second communications network 32 maycomprise the Internet (and therefore may overlap and share facilitieswith the first communications network 31), or may comprise one or moreprivate networks, or combination of one or more private networks withthe Internet. A private network may comprise a telecommunicationsnetwork, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or anycombination thereof. In some instances, the first and secondcommunications networks 31 and 32 may be the same (such as a networkusing the Internet as the backbone). A communications network generallycomprises a network of one or more communications links and two or morenodes that pass messages from one part of the network to another part.Each node comprises one or more pieces of electrical machinery, and eachlink may comprise one or more of the following: optical fibers, opticallinks, radio links, electrical wires. The components described so farare, for the most part, conventional and arranged in a conventionalmanner.

FIG. 1 illustrates a verification token 40 according to one embodimentof the invention, and a validation entity 80 according to anotherembodiment of the invention. These components, and the interactionsbetween them and between other components shown in FIG. 1 are novel, anddo not form part of the prior art. Verification token 40 has a reader 44to read portable consumer device 5, and a peripheral interface 46adapted to couple to a peripheral interface 16 of computer 10. Reader 46may comprise one or more of the following: a magnetic stripe reader(which may include fingerprint sampling circuitry and security module),a card contact reader, and a contactless reader, the latter of which iscommonly known as an RFID reader. Verification token 40 is configured tocommunicate to validation entity 80 by way of a networking facility 14of computer 10. After user 1 fills a purchase cart on merchant website20, the user may bring up the merchant's checkout page to provide theuser's payment information and commit to the purchase. At this point,user 1 may present his or her portable consumer device 5 to a cardreader 44 of verification token 40 to provide the device'sidentification information (an example of which is illustrate in FIG.7). The verification token 40 reads the identification information fromthe user's portable consumer device 5, and sends at least a portion ofthe identification information in a secure manner (e.g., in an encryptedform) to validation entity 80 to request a device verification value forthe portable consumer device 5. For the sake of clarity, and withoutloss of generality, we can refer to the device verification valueprovided by validation entity 80 as a “dCVV2” value, so as todistinguish it from the dynamic “CVC3” or “dCVV” values generated bysmartcards, which were described above, and from the CVV field found onthe merchant's checkout page. Validation entity 80 applies one or morevalidation tests to verification token 40 and/or the identificationinformation to obtain a level of confidence that the portable consumerdevice 5 was actually presented to verification token 40 to request thedCVV2 value. When the one or more validation tests are passed, andpreferably with no tests being failed, validation entity 80 sends adCVV2 value to verification token 40.

A first validation test that validation entity 80 may apply pertains toverifying that verification token 40 is authentic. For this,verification token 40 may send its serial number to validation entity80, along with a message encrypted by an encryption key, with themessage and encryption key being known to token 40 and entity 80 (butnot the general public), and with the encryption key further beinguniquely assigned to the token's serial number (uniquely assigned to thetoken). Validation entity 80 has a database of serial numbers andcorresponding uniquely assigned encryption keys, and can validate thatverification token 40 has sent the correct message for the serialnumber. Validation of the correct message serves to authenticateverification token 40. A second validation test that validation entity80 may apply pertains to verifying that verification token 40 has notbeen involved in fraudulent transactions. For this, validation entity 80may also have a database that tracks the serial numbers of verificationtokens that have been used in fraudulent activities, and may check theserial number of verification token 40 against this database. If the twovalidation tests are passed (e.g., encrypted serial number matches valuein database, and no fraudulent use), validation entity 80 may send adCVV2 value to verification token 40, or may apply additional validationtests before sending a dCVV2 value. Such an additional validation testpertains to checking the digital fingerprint or variable datum ofportable consumer device 5. Validation entity 80 may have a storedrecord of the digital fingerprint of portable consumer device 5 or thealgorithm for generating the variable datum of device 5, and canvalidate the received identification information by comparing thefingerprint or variable datum provided in the received information withthe fingerprint or variable datum that it obtains from its stored recordfor device 5. If the additional validation test is passed, validationentity 80 may send a dCVV2 value to verification token 40. Theadditional validation test may be performed in addition to, or insteadof, the previously described validation tests.

The dCVV2 value provided by validation entity 80 comprises a variabledatum (e.g., a multi-digit number), and is used by the user to completethe purchase transaction. Verification token 40 may display the dCVV2value to the user so that the user may enter the dCVV2 value into CVVfield of the checkout page of the merchant's website, or verificationtoken 40 may enter the dCVV2 value directly into the CCV field of themerchant's checkout page. After the dCVV2 value has been entered intothe CVV field, the user may complete the purchase. This form of thedCVV2 value enables it to work within existing payment processingsystems and flows. The merchant's website 20 then uses the dCVV2 valuefor the CVV in its authorization request for the purchase. Theauthorization request is sent to acquiring bank 50, which then forwardsit to payment processing network 70 for authorization. Through aseparate channel, validation entity 80 may send the dCVV2 value topayment processing network 70 and/or issuing bank 60, along with theaccount information (e.g., account number), so that the merchant'sauthorization request can be processed. This serves to notify paymentprocessing network 70 and/or issuing bank 60 that a dCVV2 value forportable consumer device 5 was requested and provided to a merchant, andto expect the merchant to provide the dCVV2 value in an authorizationrequest for the account.

Payment processing network 70 can compare incoming authorizationrequests from merchants (such as forwarded by acquiring banks) againstthe information it receives from validation entity 80 (such as bylooking at account numbers), and can match (e.g., correlate) incomingauthorization requests with validation information sent by validationentity 80. If a match is found, payment processing network 70 has a highdegree of assurance that consumer portable device 5 was in thepossession of user 1 at the time the purchase transaction was made. Thisprovides a greater degree of assurance in comparison to the reliance onCCV values printed on the backs of credit cards. Payment processingnetwork 70 and issuing bank 60 can then undertake the other actions thatthey perform to authorize the transaction, such as checking whether themerchant 20 is in good standing, and checking the account limit of user1 to ensure that there are sufficient funds to cover the purchase amountof the transaction. In this case, payment processing network 70 does notneed to validate the digital fingerprint and/or the variable datum ofthe portable consumer device 5, if those actions have been done byvalidation entity 80. (Payment processing network 70 may, however,perform those validation actions for merchant point-of-salestransactions.)

Embodiments and components shown in FIG. 1 are now described in greaterdetail. The user's computer 10 may comprise a desktop computer, a laptopcomputer, or any portable electronic device that has a networkingfacility and a peripheral interface for communicating with one or moreperipheral devices.

Computer 10 has one or more processors 11, a tangible computer-readablemedium 12 coupled to processor(s) 11 that stores instruction codes(software) that direct processor(s) 11 and that stores data used byprocessor(s) 11, and a user interface 13 coupled to processor(s) 11.Networking facility 14 and peripheral interface 16, which werepreviously described above, are also coupled to processor(s) 11, withnetworking facility 14 also being coupled to first communicationsnetwork 31. User interface 13 comprises one or more video output devices(e.g., displays, screens) and one or more input devices (e.g., keyboard,mouse, trackball, etc.) for user 1 to receive information from computer10 and to provide input to computer 10. Computer-readable medium 12 maycomprise a combination of semiconductor memory and non-volatile storage,such as one or more disk drives and/or non-volatile memory.Computer-readable medium 12 stores an operating system for computer 10,which enables processes and applications to be run by processor(s) 11.The operating system provides services to these processes andapplications, and enables these processes and applications to accesscomponents of user interface 13, portions of computer-readable medium12, networking facility 14, peripheral interface 16, and othercomponents of computer 10. The operating system may be complex and fullfeatured, such as found on desk-top computers, or simplified, such asfound on cell phones, PDAs, and many other types of portable electronicdevices.

Networking facility 14 of computer 10 may comprise software and hardwarethat enable a process running on computer 10 to communicate with acommunications network, such as network 31, to send and receivemessages, data, and the like to one or more entities coupled to thecommunications network. The hardware of facility 14 may comprisededicated hardware separate from processor(s) 11, or the shared use ofprocessor(s) 11, or a combination thereof. The software of facility 14may comprise firmware, software stored in computer-readable medium 12 oranother computer-readable medium, portions of the operating system, or acombination of any of the preceding items. Networking facility 14 ispreferably a non-exclusive resource, allowing access to thecommunications network by other processes and applications being run bycomputer 10. Peripheral interface 16 of computer 10 comprises a wired orwireless connection that enables a peripheral device (separate fromcomputer 10) to communicate with the computer. Conventional wiredconnections include universal serial bus (USB) connectors (“USB ports”),serial ports, parallel ports, and PCMCIA ports. Conventional wirelessconnections include infra-red (IR) base stations and Bluetooth^(TM) basestations that are built into computer 10 or that are coupled to aperipheral interface of computer 10.

In addition to reader 44 and peripheral interface 46 (described above),verification token 40 further comprises a processor 41, a tangiblecomputer-readable medium 42 coupled to processor 41 holding data andcodes that direct the operation of processor 41, a security module 43coupled to processor 41 and adapted to securely store one or moreencryption keys and to encrypt and decrypt data for token 40, a reader44 coupled to processor 41 and adapted to read portable consumer devices5, and a peripheral interface 46 coupled to processor 41 and adapted tocommunicate to computer 10 by way of peripheral interface 16. Processor41 may comprise a conventional microprocessor, and computer-readablemedium 42 may comprise a combination of semiconductor memory andnon-volatile storage, such non-volatile memory. FIG. 5 illustrates anexemplary implementation of computer-readable medium 42, which includethe storage of several datum elements (described in greater detailbelow), processor codes that direct the operation of processor 41, andprocessor memory which processor 41 may use in carrying out its tasks.Referring back to FIG. 1, security module 43 may comprise encryption anddecryption circuitry (which may include one or more processors), and maycomprise one or more encryption keys stored in a secured memory.Security module 43 may also include firewall security circuitry thatprotects verification token 40 from attacks from hackers conductedthrough peripheral interface 16. Reader 44 may comprise a conventionreader, as described above. Peripheral interface 46 may comprise a wiredor wireless connection adapted to communicate with peripheral interface16 of computer 10. As indicated above, conventional wired connectionsinclude universal serial bus connectors (“USB ports”), serial ports,parallel ports, and PCMCIA ports. Conventional wireless connections mayinclude infra-red and Bluetooth™ remote stations. When using aconventional wired connection with peripheral interface 46, verificationtoken 40 may be detachably coupled to computer 10 at peripheralinterface 16, such as at a USB port connector. FIG. 6 illustrates anexemplary verification token 40-1 with a USB port connector (male type)as part of its peripheral interface 46-1. Also illustrate in FIG. 6 iscomputer 10, its peripheral interface 16-1 having a USB port connector(female type) to which USB connector 46-1 is plugged into, the userinterface 13 of computer (e.g., screen and keyboard), the user'sportable consumer device 5 (RFID-type card), user 1, and thepresentation of a dCVV2 value on user interface 13.

Referring back to FIG. 1, verification token 40 further comprisesvarious codes embodied on computer-readable medium 42 that direct dataprocessor 41 to perform respective actions (e.g. processor codes shownin FIG. 5). A first code directs data processor 41 to communicate withcomputer 10 by way of peripheral interface 46 so as to gain accessnetworking facility 14 of computer 10. The first code may comprise codethat directs data processor 41 to send a device driver to computer 10and an instruction to install the device driver in the computer'soperating system, wherein the device driver is a collection ofinstructions to be run by computer 10 that enables computer 10 torecognize the verification token and communicate with the verificationtoken 40, and enables the token's data processor 41 to make functioncalls to various (API) of the computer's operating system, such as thoserelated to networking and accessing networking facility 14. So called“self-installing” drivers are known to the art, and can be used here.They comprise one or more function calls to an application programminginterface (API) of the computer's operating system, such as the devicemanager's API. The first code may be configured to work with a selectedoperating system, such as Windows or Symbian OS, or may be configured towork with several operating systems. In the latter case, the first codemay include several device drivers for the various operating systems,and instructions that query computer 10 for its operating system typeand select (and install) the driver most appropriate for the computer'soperating system. The device drivers may be stored in a section ofcomputer-readable medium 42, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 5.

Referring back to FIG. 1, a second code of verification token 40 directsdata processor 41 to receive identification information read fromportable consumer device 5 by the reader 44. The second code may includecode that directs the data processor 41 to receive a universal resourceidentifier (URID) of a validation entity 80, as read from portableconsumer device 5 by the reader 44. These instructions may includeconventional I/O instructions that direct the communications with reader44. Different portable consumer device 5 may store and provide differentURID's to different validation entities 80. A uniform resourceidentifier (URID) may comprise a uniform resource locator (URL), anInternet-protocol address (IP-address), or any other type of identifierthat can identify an entity on a communications network. If a portableconsumer device 5 does not provide a URID to validation entity 80,verification token 40 may store a URID to a default validation entity80. In some configurations, some verification tokens 40 may beco-branded with respective issuing banks and only work for portableconsumer devices that are co-branded with the same issuing banks, andeach issuing bank may have its own validation entity 80 with its ownURID. In such a configuration, these verification tokens 40 may storethe URIDs to their respective co-branded validation entities 80. Insteadof, or in addition to, this configuration, some verification tokens 40may be associated with respective payment processing networks 70, andeach such network may have its own validation entity 80. In such aconfiguration, these verification tokens 40 may store the URIDs to theirrespective associated validation entities 80. Accordingly, the secondcode of verification token 40 may be further configured to direct dataprocessor 41 to only use a default URID stored by token 40, or to use adefault URID if consumer portable device 5 does not provide token 40with a URID to entity 80. As yet another implementation, verificationtoken 40 may include code that directs processor 41 to select one of anumber of URIDs stored in token 40 based on a bank number provided inthe identification information or embedded in the account number. Theabove further direction and codes may be implemented with conventionalI/O instructions, memory access instructions, and CPU logical andcontrol instructions. One or more URIDs to validation entities may bestored in computer readable memory 42, as illustrated in the exampleshown in FIG. 5.

Referring back to FIG. 1, A third code of verification token 40 directsdata processor 41 to establish communications with validation entity 80using networking facility 14 of computer 10. The operating system ofcomputer 10 comprises one or more software modules and applicationprograms, generically called “network services modules” herein, that canaccess networking facility 14 and set up communication sessions toentities on communications network 31. Such network services modulesinclude Microsoft's Windows Communications Foundation (e.g., .NET 3.0,.NET 4.0, etc.), Apple's CFNetwork Framework, the networking section ofthe Unix and Linux operating system kernels, the OS Services Layer andthe Base Services Layer of the Symbian operating system, Internetbrowsers, and the like. Each of these network services modules isnon-exclusive (e.g., capable of serving more than one processor and morethan one process/application) and provides an application programminginterface (API) to a collection of functions that a processor can accessusing respective function calls. With these API facilities, a collectionof function calls can be readily constructed for a processor to executethat enables the processor to establish a communications channel with anentity on a communications network coupled to networking facility 14,and to exchange messages and data with the entity. The third code ofverification token 40 comprises such a collection of function calls tothe API of a network services module of computer 10, including one ormore function calls that provide the universal resource identifier(URID) for validation entity 80 and an instruction to establish asession with the validation entity. The session may be a secure socketlayer (or secure transport layer) session (e.g., SSL session) withmutual authentication. As part of establishing the session in someimplementations, the third code of verification token 40 may includedirecting data processor 41 to provide, or to cause to be provided, anetwork address for the token to the computer's network services moduleand to validation entity 80. The network address may be static ordynamic, the latter of which may be obtained through API function callsto the computer's network services module. The network address may an byIP address.

If token 40 wishes to use an Internet browser for a network servicesmodule, it may further comprise API function calls to the computer'soperating system to initiate an instance of the browser and provide itwith access to the browser instance. In some implementations, such aswhen verification entity 40 stores the URID of validation entity 80, thethird code may direct the data processor 41 to establish communicationswith validation entity 80 well before user 1 presents consumer portabledevice 5 to reader 44. Verification 40 and validation 80 may keep thecommunication session active until device 5 is presented to reader 44,and between times that device 5 is presented to reader 44, byintermittently exchanging “heartbeat” messages. For example,verification token 40 may periodically, aperiodically, or randomly sendmessages to validation entity 80 confirming its presence in the session,and validation entity 80 may send a reply message confirming itspresence in the session.

A fourth code of verification token 40 directs the data processor 41 totransmit at least a portion of identification information to validationentity 80 by way of networking facility 14 of computer 10, wherein theidentification information is transmitted in encrypted form. If an SSLsession has been established, the fourth code may direct data processor41 to pass the identification information to the computer's networkservices module using appropriate function calls to the API for thenetwork services module, and the identification information may betransmitted in the SSL session, where the transmitted and received dataare encrypted by a session key. For an additional layer of security, thefourth code may further comprise code that directs processor 41 toencrypt the identification information with the help of security module43 using an encryption key stored in token 40 before providing it tonetworking facility 14. These instructions may include conventional I/Oinstructions that direct the communications with security module 43 topass the identification information to module 43 and to receive back theencrypted information. An encryption key for this may be stored incomputer-readable medium 42 or in security module 43.

A fifth code of verification token 40 directs data processor 41 toreceive, after transmitting said identification information, a deviceverification value (e.g., dCVV2 value) from validation entity 80 by wayof networking facility 14 of computer 10. This code may comprisefunction calls to the API of the computer's network services module toretrieve data sent by entity 80 in the session. The dCVV2 value may beencrypted by validation entity 80, in which case the fifth code ofverification token may further direct data processor 41 to decrypt theencrypted value, such as by using security module 43 (with input-outputinstruction calls to module 43). The fifth code may include code thatdirects data processor 41 to display the received dCVV2 value to user 1,such as by way of the user interface 13 of computer 10 or a miniatureLCD screen, or the like, integrated with verification token 40. In theformer case, this code may comprise API function calls to the graphicaluser interface of the operating system of computer 10 to open a displaybox on user interface 13 to display the dCVV2 value in alphanumericand/or graphical form. In the latter case, this code may comprise I/Oinstructions to the miniature LCD screen, or the like. In anotherimplementation, verification token 40 may insert the received dCVV2value in the CVV field of the merchant purchase page. In this case, thefifth code may further include code that directs data processor 41 tolocate a browser session on the computer that has a form field for adevice verification value, and to fill the field with the deviceverification value received from the validation entity. This can includefunction calls to the API of the

Internet browser to search the active web page or all open web pages foran input field marked as CVV, and to input the dCVV2 value into the CVVfield.

In some configurations, validation entity 80 may provide a dynamicaccount number (often called a “dPAN” in the art) along with the dCVV2value. For these configurations, the fifth code may be augmented toreceive the dPAN along with the dCVV2 value, and to display the dPANvalue to user 1 or to fill the value into an account field of themerchant purchase page, and include instructions similar to thosedescribed above for processing the dCVV2 value. Specifically, the fifthcode may further include code that directs data processor 41 to displaythe received dPAN value to user 1, such as by way of the user interface13 of computer 10 or a miniature LCD screen, or the like, integratedwith verification token 40. In the former case, this code may compriseAPI function calls to the graphical user interface of the operatingsystem of computer 10 to open a display box on user interface 13 todisplay the dPAN value in alphanumeric and/or graphical form. In thelatter case, this code may comprise I/O instructions to the miniatureLCD screen, or the like. In another implementation, verification token40 may insert the received dPAN value in the account field of themerchant purchase page. In this case, the fifth code may further includecode that that directs data processor 41 to locate a browser session onthe computer that has form fields for an account number and deviceverification value (e.g., CVV field), and to fill the account field withthe dPAN value and the device verification value field with the dCVV2value received from the validation entity. This can include functioncalls to the API of the Internet browser to search the active web pageor all open web pages for an input fields marked as “account number” (or“credit card number”) and CVV, and to enter the dPAN value into the“account number” field and the dCVV2 value into the CVV field.

The use of function calls to various application programming interfaces(APIs) of the operating system of computer 10 its support modules,facilities, and its applications is well known to the software art, andone of ordinary skill in the art will be able to construct instructionsand API function calls to implement the above-described codes and tasksin view of this disclosure without undue experimentation.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment 140 of a method that can beused by verification token 40. Exemplary method 140 comprises aplurality of actions 141-145. Action 141 comprises establishing acommunications link between the verification token and the computer,with the computer having a networking facility, as described above.Action 142 comprises establishing a communications session between theverification token and a validation entity using the computer'snetworking facility and a network services module therefor. Action 143comprises reading identification information from a portable consumerdevice 5 into the verification token using a reader, such as reader 44.In some implementations, action 143 may precede either or both ofactions 141 and 142. Action 144 comprises transmitting the readidentification information from the verification token to the validationentity through the communications session, the identificationinformation being transmitted to the validation entity in an encryptedform. Action 144 may comprise directing the communication session toencrypt the identification information, and/or encrypting theidentification information using an encryption key stored in the token.A triple DES based algorithm may be used for both encryptions. Action145 comprises, after transmitting the identification information,receiving, at the verification token, a device verification value fromthe validation entity by way of the communications session.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment 150 of a method for a user touse verification token 40 and the like. Exemplary method 150 comprises aplurality of actions 151-153. Action 151 comprises coupling averification token, such as token 40, to a computer, such as computer10, using a peripheral interface of the computer. Action 152 comprisespresenting a portable consumer device 5 to the reader of theverification token to obtain a device verification value for the device.If device 5 has a magnetic stripe, action 152 may comprise swiping themagnetic stripe through a magnetic stripe reader of the verificationtoken. If device 5 comprises a wireless communications interface, action152 may comprise waving device 5 near the reader of verification token.Action 153 comprises providing the obtained device verification value toan entity involved with a transaction between the user and the entity.Action 153 may comprise entering the device verification value onto awebpage of entity, or conveying the value over the phone to arepresentative of the entity.

As indicated above, validation entity 80 may use a first validation testto validate verification token 40. For this, verification token 40 maysend its serial number to validation entity 80, along with a messageencrypted by an encryption key, with the message and encryption keybeing known to token 40 and entity 80 (but not the general public), andwith the encryption key further being uniquely assigned to the token'sserial number. Validation entity 80 has a database of serial numbers andthe corresponding uniquely-assigned encryption keys (or storedalgorithms for generating said keys), and can validate that verificationtoken 40 has sent the correct message for the serial number. For this,verification token 40 may comprise a serial number and unique encryptionkey embodied in a computer-readable medium, the unique encryption keybeing unique to verification token 40 (see FIG. 5 for an exemplaryimplementation, “Serial Number” and “Datum for Encrypted message”), andcode that directs data processor 41 to send the serial number and amessage encrypted by the unique encryption key to validation entity 80.The message may be pre-stored on the computer-readable medium (e.g.,stored in “Datum for Encrypted message” in FIG. 5), or derivable frominformation known to both verification token 40 and validation entity80, such as a message derived from an algorithm applied to the currentdate, serial number of token 40, and/or session key of the communicationsession between token 40 and entity 80. In this manner, the message sentby token 40 to validation entity 80 is verifiable by validation entity80 using information stored at the validation entity. Thecomputer-readable medium for the above tasks may be located incomputer-readable medium 42 and/or security module 43. The above codesmay include I/O instructions to security module 43, and function callsto the API of the computer's network services module.

As an option, verification token 40 may send, from time to time, one ormore pieces of machine-unique information of computer 10 to validationentity 80, which may check this information against a database ofcomputer information associated with known fraudsters. Suchmachine-unique information may include the serial numbers of processors,disk drives, and operating systems of computer 10. Verification token 40may comprise code that directs data processor 41 to obtain one or morepieces of machine-unique information from computer 10, and to send themachine-specific information to validation entity 80. This code mayinclude function calls to the API of the computer's operating system toobtain the information, and function calls to the API of the computer'snetwork services module to send the information to validation entity 80.

As another option, verification token 40 may be configured to promptuser 1 for a password to activate one or more features of token 40. Thepassword may be stored on a computer-readable medium located in securitymodule 43 or in computer-readable medium 42 (see FIG. 5 for an exemplaryimplementation of the latter). The password may be provided to user 1 ona piece of paper by the provider or seller of token 40. Token 40 may besent to user 1 through the mail by or on behalf of an issuing bank, ormay be purchased by user 1 in a store. Token 40 may be configured torequire that the password be entered each time the user wishes topresent a consumer portable device 5, and/or each time token 40 iscoupled to a computer 10. For this, verification token 40 may furthercomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 42 that directs dataprocessor 41 to prompt the user to enter a password on a keyboard ofcomputer 10, to read a password entered by the user, and to compare theentered password against a stored password embodied on thecomputer-readable medium. This code may comprise API function calls tothe graphical user interface of the operating system of computer 10 toopen a display box on user interface 13 to request and receive apassword from user 1, I/O instructions, memory access instructions, andCPU logical and control instructions. Verification token 40 may furthercomprise one or more of the following:

(1) code embodied on computer-readable medium 42 that directs dataprocessor 41 to initiate and/or allow the above-described communicationswith computer 10 in response to an entered password matching the storedpassword;

(2) code embodied on computer-readable medium 42 that directs dataprocessor 41 to initiate and/or allow the above-described communicationswith validation entity 80 in response to an entered password matchingthe stored password;

(3) code embodied on computer-readable medium 42 that directs dataprocessor 41 to activate reader 44 and/or to accept identificationinformation from reader 44 in response to an entered password matchingthe stored password; and

(4) code embodied on computer-readable medium 42 that directs dataprocessor 41 to initiate and/or allow the above-described transmissionof identification information to validation entity 80 in response toentered password matching the stored password.

These codes may be done with I/O instructions, memory access,instructions, and CPU logical and control instructions. They, alone orin combination, prevent the transmission of identification informationto entity 80 when the entered password is not the same as the storedpassword, and thereby comprise code embodied on the computer-readablemedium that directs the data processor for doing so. One of ordinaryskill in the art will be able to construct the instructions and APIfunction calls to implement the above-described codes in view of thisdisclosure without undue experimentation. As further protection,validation token 40 may further comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 42 that directs data processor 41 to establisha user name for the token by presenting user 1 with a dialog box toreceive input designating a username, and by storing the username incomputer readable medium 42 (example shown in FIG. 5). The above codesfor processing the password may be further augmented to includerequesting a username for the token and comparing the received usernamewith the stored username for a match, and including a match as acondition that must be met in each of the four above codes that initiateor allow various actions to be done. These codes may be done with I/Oinstructions, memory access instructions, and CPU logical and controlinstructions.

In further implementations, As further protection, validation token 40may further comprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 42 thatdirects data processor 41 to establish one or more shipping addresses inthe token that token 40 can use to fill into form fill locations of amerchant page. Each shipping address may be associated with a portableconsumer device. The code may direct processor 41 to present a series ofdialog boxes to the user by way of the computer's user interface 13 toreceive the shipping address and the account number (or last four digitsthereof) of the portable consumer device 5 that is to be associated tothe shipping address, and to store the information in acomputer-readable medium, such as medium 42 (as illustrated by theexample shown in FIG. 5). Token 40 may further comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 42 that directs data processor 41 to access theshipping information in response to a request being sent to validationentity 80 (the shipping information may be selected among many storedaddress based on the account number sent in the request), and to fillthe shipping information into appropriate locations of a merchantcheckout page, such as when a dCVV2 value is received back fromvalidation entity 80. The code may be configured to direct processor 41to only fill in the shipping information when the locations for theinformation on the merchant checkout page are blank. The filling codemay be further configured to direct data process 41 to use shippinginformation stored on portable consumer device 5 when shippinginformation is not store in token 40 for the account number of device 5,and further if the locations for the shipping information on themerchant checkout page are blank. The filling code may include code thatdirects data processor 41 to locate a browser session on the computerthat has a form fields for shipping information and/or a deviceverification value, and to fill the shipping fields with the selectedshipping information. This can include function calls to the API of theInternet browser to search the active web page or all open web pages foran input field marked as name, address, city, zip code, and CVV, and toinput the datum of the selected shipping information into theappropriate fields. The above codes may be implemented with API functioncalls, I/O instructions, memory access instructions, and CPU logical andcontrol instructions.

In each of the embodiments described herein pertaining to verificationtoken 40, token 40 may send the identification information pertaining toportable consumer device 5 to computer 10 in a number of forms,including: (1) unaltered form (“clear form”), (2) encrypted form, (3)hashed formed (e.g., encoded), (4) signed form, (5) or any combinationof these forms. These forms may be generated by portable consumer device5, verification token 40, computer 10, or any combination thereof. Inaddition, verification token 40 and validation entity 80 may perform amutual authentication process before verification token 40 sends theidentification information.

In each of the embodiments described herein pertaining to verificationtoken 40, the above codes of token 40 and the identification informationread from device 5 by token 40 may be stored independently of computer10 and may be secure from programs (including spyware and othermalicious programs) running on computer 10. In such implementations, theidentification information is put in secure form (e.g., encrypted,hashed, signed, or combination thereof) by verification token 40 beforethe information is provided to computer 10. Accordingly, securing theinformation is not dependent upon the security of computer 10. Symmetricor asymmetric keys may be used for encryption and signing. The keys fora verification token 40 may be unique with respect to other verificationtokens (that is, the keys for a token may be unique to that token). Keysfor a token, and particularly symmetric keys, may be based upon auniquely assigned serial number for the verification token, which thetoken can communicate to validation entity 80 in an initialcommunication. Both the verification token and the validation entity mayhave a shared secret on how to derive a key from the token's serialnumber, such as by manipulating and/or replacing selected digits of theserial number. A number of keys may be derived from the unique serialnumber using respective shared secrets. Thus, the challenge and responsemessages used in a mutual authentication process between a verificationtoken and a validation entity may be signed using respective keysderived from the serial number of the verification token.

Having described various embodiments and implementations of verificationtoken 40, various embodiments and implementations of validation entityare now described. Validation entity 80 comprises a system having one ormore servers coupled to a communications network that can receive arequest from a verification token 40 to process (e.g., to validate) theidentification information that the token has read from a portableconsumer device 5, and to provide a device verification value (dCVV2) tothe token and to payment processing network 70 if the identificationinformation passes one or more validation tests. One of the servers ofentity 80 is shown in FIG. 1; the server comprises one or moreprocessors 81 electrically coupled to each of a tangiblecomputer-readable medium 82, a user interface 83, one or more databases86, and a networking facility 84, the latter of which is coupled tofirst and second communications networks 31 and 32. User interface 83comprises one or more video output devices (e.g., displays, screens) andone or more input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, trackball, etc.),which enable an administrator of entity 80 to receive information fromthe server and to provide input to the server. Computer-readable medium82 may comprise a combination of semiconductor memory and non-volatilestorage, such as one or more disk drives and/or non-volatile memory.

Computer-readable medium 82 stores an operating system for the server,which enables processes and applications to be run by processor(s) 81,and enables codes for directing the operation of processor(s) 81 to berun. The operating system provides services to these processes andapplications, and enables these processes and applications to accesscomponents of user interface 83, portions of computer-readable medium82, networking facility 84, and other components of entity 80. Theoperating system may be full featured. Specifically, the operatingsystem provides one or more I/O communications modules that enableprocessor(s) 81 to communicate with user interface 83 and databases 86.Each I/O communications module has an application programming interface(API) with a collection of functions that a processor 81 can call inorder to access the components. The operating system of entity 80 alsocomprises one or more network services modules that can accessnetworking facility 84 and set up communication sessions to entities oncommunications networks 31 and 32, and with SMS relay server 35. Suchnetwork services modules include Microsoft's Windows CommunicationsFoundation (e.g., .NET 3.0, .NET 4.0, etc.), Apple's CFNetworkFramework, the networking section of the Unix and Linux operating systemkernels, and the OS Services Layer and the Base Services Layer of theSymbian operating system, and the like. Each of these network servicesmodules can be non-exclusive (e.g., capable of serving more than oneprocessor and more than one process/application) and each provides anapplication programming interface (API), which has a collection offunctions that a processor 81 can call in order to manage communicationswith another entity. With these API facilities, a collection of APIfunction calls can be readily constructed for a processor to executethat enables the processor to establish a communications channel with anentity on a communications network coupled to networking facility 84,and to exchange messages and data with the entity. The above operatingsystem, modules, and APIs all include instructions that direct theoperation of processor(s) 81.

One or more databases 86 may be configured as database servers, whichprocessor(s) 81 can access via networking facility 84 over a privatecommunications network 87, which is illustrated by the dashed line inFIG. 1. Validation entity 80 conventionally has a clock 88 for trackingtime and dates for various applications. Clock 88 may be a simplecounter of seconds, or fractions thereof, that can be read by processor81 by an I/O operation, or may comprise a more complex arrangement ofhardware or firmware that can provide the various components of thecurrent date and time (year, month, day, hour, minute, and second) invarious registers that can be read by processor 81 through the executionof one or more I/O operations.

Validation entity 80 can process identification information transmittedfrom a plurality of different verification tokens 40 (e.g., millions oftokens), and can process any number of transmissions by a particulartoken 40. Validation entity 80 applies one or more validation tests toverification token 40 and/or the identification information to obtain alevel of confidence that the portable consumer device 5 was actuallypresented to verification token 40 to request the dCVV2 value. When theone or more validation tests are passed, and preferably when none of thetests are failed, validation entity 80 sends a dCVV2 value toverification token 40, and optionally to payment processing network 70along with the account number present in the identification. For thesetasks, validation entity 80 may comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor 81 tocommunicate with computer 10 and verification token 40 using networkingfacility 84 over communications network 31. This code may includeinstructions that establish a communications session with computer 10,including the option of establishing an SSL session with mutualauthentication and encryption based on a triple DES algorithm, andinstructions for sending and receiving messages to verification token 40through the communications session. Validation entity 80 may furthercomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 82 that directs dataprocessor 81 to receive encrypted identification information sent byverification token 40, and code that directs data processor 81 todecrypt the encrypted identification information. The identificationinformation may be encrypted by a session key of an SSL session or by anencryption key stored in verification token 40 and known to validationentity 80, or may be doubly encrypted by both keys. The latter key maybe uniquely assigned to the token. Validation entity 80 may furthercomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 82 that directs dataprocessor 81 to apply one or more validation tests as previouslydescribed above, and to send the dCVV2 value to token 40 and tooptionally send the dCVV2 value and account number to payment processingnetwork 70, if a selected number of validation tests are passed. Dataprocessor 81 may access databases 86 in performing the one or morevalidation tests. The validation tests and codes therefore are describedbelow in greater detail: These codes and codes described below forvalidation entity 80 may be implemented in any number of programminglanguages. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art will be readilyable to construct instructions to implement these codes in view of thisdisclosure without undue experimentation.

As described above, a first validation test that validation entity 80may apply pertains to verifying that verification token 40 is authentic.For this, verification token 40 may send its serial number to validationentity 80, along with a test message encrypted by an encryption key,with the test message and encryption key being known to token 40 andentity 80 (but not the general public), and with the encryption keyfurther being uniquely assigned to the token's serial number. Validationentity 80 may access a database of token serial numbers andcorresponding uniquely-assigned encryption keys in one of databases 86,and may determine whether verification token 40 has sent a correct testmessage for the serial number that the token provided. The test messagemay be fixed or variable; in the latter case it may be generated basedon information known to both token 40 and entity 80. The test messagemay be encrypted and decrypted by a triple DES algorithm, which can beimplemented by a number of well known sets of computer instructions. Ifthe sent test message is correct, the first validation test can bedeemed to have been passed. For this, validation entity 80 may comprisecode embodied on computer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor81 to receive one or more messages from verification token 40 vianetworking facility 84 that has the token's serial number and encryptedtest message, code that directs data processor 81 to decrypt theencrypted test message, code that directs data processor 81 to obtainone or more acceptable messages that can be accepted as the correct testmessage from one of databases 86, and code that directs data processor81 to compare the decrypted test message to the one or more acceptablemessages to determine if the first validation test has been passed (inthe case of a match between the decrypted test message and an acceptablemessage), or has been failed (in the case of no such match). Anacceptable message may be obtained by accessing it directly from one ofdatabases 86, or by generating it from information stored in one or moreof databases 86. The above codes can be implemented with conventionalI/O instructions, API function calls to databases, memory accessinstructions, CPU arithmetic and logic instructions, and CPU controlinstructions. In view of this disclosure, the codes may be implementedby one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation.

As a second validation test, validation entity 80 may have a database indatabases 86 that tracks the serial numbers of verification tokens thathave been used in fraudulent activities, and validation entity 80 maycheck the serial number of verification token 40 against this database.If a check of this database indicates that verification token 40 has notbeen involved in fraudulent activity, the second validation test can bedeemed to have been passed. To assist in tracking fraudulent activityback to a verification token, validation entity 80 may send the serialnumber of token 40 along with the dCVV2 value and account number that itsends to payment processing network 70. If network 70 later finds outthat the transaction processed with the account number provided by token40 was fraudulent, it can send a message to that effect to validationentity 80, and entity 80 may then enter the serial number of the tokeninto the database of tokens used in fraudulent activities.

To implement the second validation test, validation entity 80 maycomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 82 that directs dataprocessor 81 to receive a message from verification token 40 vianetworking facility 84 that has the token's serial number, code thatdirects data processor 81 to have the received serial number comparedwith serial numbers stored in a database of databases 86 that storesserial numbers of tokens used in fraudulent transactions to determine ifthe second validation test has been passed (no fraudulent activity), orhas been failed (fraudulent activity). The above codes can beimplemented with conventional I/O instructions, API function calls todatabases, memory access instructions, CPU logic instructions, and CPUcontrol instructions. In view of this disclosure, the codes may beimplemented by one of ordinary skill in the art without undueexperimentation.

As a third validation test, validation entity 80 may send a message toverification token 40 requesting that token 40 send it one or morepieces of computer-specific information about computer 10, such as theserial numbers of one or more of the following: the computer'sprocessor, one or more of the computer's disk drives, the computer'soperating system. Validation entity 80 may receive this information andcheck it against a database storing computer-specific information ofcomputers known to have been involved in fraudulent activity. If a checkof this database indicates that the computer 10 used by verificationtoken 40 has not been involved in fraudulent activity, the thirdvalidation test can be deemed to have been passed. To assist in trackingfraudulent activity back to computer 10, validation entity 80 may sendthe serial number of token 40 and the computer-specific informationalong with the dCVV2 value and account number that it sends to paymentprocessing network 70. If network 70 later finds out that thetransaction processed with the account number provided by token 40 wasfraudulent, it can send a message to that effect to validation entity80, and entity 80 may then enter the serial number of the token into thedatabase of tokens used in fraudulent activities, and thecomputer-specific information into the database of computers known tohave been involved in fraudulent activity. To implement the thirdvalidation test, validation entity 80 may comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor 81 to send amessage to verification token 40 requesting computer-specificinformation (if verification token 40 has not sent such informationbeforehand without prompting), code that directs data processor 81 toreceive one or more data messages from verification token 40 vianetworking facility 84 that have the token's serial number and thecomputer-specific information, and code that directs data processor 81to have the received computer-specific information compared withcomputer-specific information stored in a database (of databases 86)that stores computer-specific information of computers used infraudulent transactions to determine if the third validation test hasbeen passed (no fraudulent activity), or has been failed (fraudulentactivity). The above codes can be implemented with conventional I/Oinstructions, API function calls to databases, memory accessinstructions, CPU logic instructions, and CPU control instructions. Inview of this disclosure, the codes may be implemented by one of ordinaryskill in the art without undue experimentation.

By conducting one or more of the above three validation tests,validation entity 80 can obtain some degree of confidence that theidentification information sent by token 40 is valid, and can, in someimplementations, provide the dCCV2 value to token 40 and paymentprocessing network 70. In this case, verification token 40 does not needto send the digital fingerprint or the variable datum of the portableconsumer device 5 in the identification information, and does not needto obtain these datum from device 5.

To increase the degree of confidence, validation entity 80 may perform afourth validation test that compares a digital fingerprint received inthe identification information, if present, with the stored copy of thedigital fingerprint that entity 80 has for the account number specifiedby the identification information. If the digital fingerprints match toan acceptable degree (e.g., the degree of similarity of the twofingerprints being above a selected level of similarity), validationentity 80 can deem the fourth validation test as being passed. Thedegree of similarity between the two fingerprints may be assessed byapplying a correlation function to the two fingerprints. Suchcorrelation functions are well known to the art. Before receivingidentification information for a portable consumer device 5 from atoken, the issuing bank for the device may provide validation entity 80with the digital magnetic fingerprint of the device, which entity 80 maystore in one of databases 86. When validation entity 80 receivesidentification information from a verification token 40 for a specificportable consumer device 5, it accesses databases 86 for its record ofthe digital fingerprint, and compares the received fingerprint againstits record of the fingerprint to assess a degree of similarity, and todetermine if the fourth validation test has been passed (e.g., thedegree of similarity between the two fingerprints is above a selectedlevel), or has been failed (e.g., the degree of similarity between thetwo fingerprints is below the selected level). To implement the fourthvalidation test, validation entity 80 may comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor 81 to obtain thestored digital fingerprint for the account from one of databases 86, andcode that directs data processor 81 to compare the received digitalfingerprint and the stored digital fingerprint for similarity todetermine if the forth test is passed (sufficient similarity) or failed(not sufficient similarity). The latter code may comprise code thatdirects data processor 81 to generating a value representative of thesimilarity between the two fingerprints by applying one or morecorrelation functions to the fingerprints, and comparing the valueagainst a selected level. Such correlation functions, also known asprobabilistic models, are known to the credit card art. The above codescan be implemented with conventional I/O instructions, API functioncalls to databases, memory access instructions, CPU arithmeticinstructions, CPU logic instructions, and CPU control instructions. Inview of this disclosure, the codes may be implemented by one of ordinaryskill in the art without undue experimentation.

To also increase the degree of confidence over that provided by thefirst three validation tests described above, validation entity 80 mayperform a fifth validation test that compares a variable datum (e.g.,CVC3 or dCVV) received as part of the identification information, ifpresent, with the value or a set of acceptable values for the variabledatum that validation entity 80 has for the account number provided aspart of the identification information. If the values match, validationentity 80 can deem the fifth validation test as being passed. There arenumber of ways that the variable datum can be configured to vary withtime. As some examples, the variable datum can be configured to have itsvalue vary with each use of portable consumer device 5, and device 5 canprovide a counter value in the datum or along with the datum. Validationentity 80 or a payment processing network can use the counter value todetermine what value the variable datum should have for the givencounter value. This determination may be done based on an algorithm thatis a function of the counter value (and/or other possible variables), ora look-up table whose entries are correlated to the counter value (thetable may be cyclically repeated). The algorithm may comprise one ormore random number generators, each of which accepts a starting “seed”value, whose value can be selected to customize the algorithm to aparticular portable consumer device 5. The values of the look-up tablemay be based on the output of the algorithm. The variable datum may alsobe based on time, date, or other information known to both verificationtoken 40 and entity 80, which may or may not use a counter value.Additional ways of generating the values of a variable datum arediscussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/642,878 entitled“Method and System for Generating a Dynamic Verification Value” filed onAug. 18, 2003, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/764,376entitled “On-Line Payment Transactions” filed on Jan. 29, 2008. Both ofthese applications are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirely for all purposes. In some implementations, there may be slightdifferences in the starting information that device 5 and entity 80 usein generating their respective datum values, such as differences in thetimes of their clocks, and entity 80 may generate a set of acceptabledatum values based on possible slight differences in the startinginformation, and may compare the datum value received from device 5 witheach member of the set to determine if a match exists.

Before receiving identification information for a portable consumerdevice 5 from a token, the issuing bank for the device may providevalidation entity 80 with the look-up table, algorithm (including anyseed values), or other data elements that the device uses to generatethe device's variable datum (e.g., CVC3 or dCVV), which entity 80 maystore in one of its databases 86. When validation entity 80 receivesidentification information from a verification token 40 for a specificportable consumer device 5, it accesses its record of the look-up table,algorithm, or other data elements for the specific device 5 to determineits value or set of values for the device's variable datum, and comparesthe received value for a variable datum (e.g., CVC3 or dCVV) against itsvalue or set of acceptable values for the variable datum to determine ifthe fifth validation test has been passed (e.g., a match in values isfound), or has been failed (e.g., a match has not been found). Toimplement the fifth validation test, validation entity 80 may comprisecode embodied on computer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor81 to access the one or more stored data elements used to obtain thevariable datum for the account from one of databases 86, code thatdirects data processor 81 to obtain one or more acceptable values forthe variable datum from the one or more stored data elements, and codethat directs data processor 81 to compare the received variable datumand the one or more acceptable values for a match to determine if theforth test is passed (a match is found) or failed (a match is notfound). The code that directs data processor 81 to obtain one or moreacceptable values may be based upon the look-up table method describedabove, or any of the algorithm based methods described above. The abovecodes can be implemented with conventional I/O instructions, APIfunction calls to databases, memory access instructions, CPU arithmeticinstructions,

CPU logic instructions, and CPU control instructions. In view of thisdisclosure, the codes may be implemented by one of ordinary skill in theart without undue experimentation.

Validation entity 80 may be configured to perform one or more of theabove validation tests, and may be configured to send a dCCV2 value toverification token and payment processing network 70 if one or more ofthe tests are passes. Validation entity 80 may comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor 81 to execute aselected one or more of the validation tests and track the pass/failresults, and code that directs data processor 81 to generate and sendthe dCVV2 value if a selected number of tests have been passed. Sincethe dCVV2 value is being sent to both the merchant (relayed throughverification token 40) and the payment processing network 70 (which mayforward it to the issuing bank), validation entity 80 may use any methodto generate the dCCV2 value, and need not use the method used byportable consumer device 5 to generate the variable datum (e.g., theCVC3 or dCVV). Validation entity 80 may generate the dCVV2 values usinga pseudo-random number generator or a look-up table, or a sequentialcounter (such as when distributing the values from that counter overdifferent accounts). The dCVV2 generation process can be done on a pertransaction basis (fully dynamic), or for a group of transactions(semi-dynamic), the latter being for a particular device 5 or a group ofdevices 5. Validation entity 80 may use a particular dCVV2 value for aparticular device 5 over a selected time period (such as three days),and then select another dCVV2 value for the particular device for thenext selected time period, and so on. Moreover, validation entity 80 mayreceive the dCVV2 values to use during the selected time periods fromthe issuing bank of the device 5 in advance of the selected timeperiods, and store them for later use, as determined by entity 80'sclock. This permits validation entity 80 to omit the action of sendingthe dCVV2 values to payment processing network 70. The deviceverification value provided by validation entity 80 may have the sameformat as the CVC3 s and dynamic CVVs (“dCVVs”) output by existingsmartcard credit cards (e.g., a string of 3 or 4 numbers). As anotherapproach, validation entity 80 may send a message to the issuing bank 60for portable consumer device 5 to request a value to provide as thedCVV2 value. The above codes and actions can be implemented withconventional I/O instructions, memory access instructions, CPUarithmetic instructions, CPU logic instructions, and CPU controlinstructions. In view of this disclosure, the codes may be implementedby one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation.

As indicated above, validation entity 80 may be configured to send adynamic account number (dPAN) to verification token 40 and the paymentprocessing network 70 along with dCVV2 value. Validation entity 80 maycontact the issuing bank 60 for device 5 to obtain the dPAN, or may readit from a list of dPANs previously sent to entity 80 by bank 60 orcreated by entity 80 or network 70, or may generate it from an algorithmpreviously provided to entity 80 by bank 60. Validation entity 80 maycomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 82 that directs dataprocessor 81 to execute these actions, as desired by the issuing bank.When payment processing network received the dCCV2 value, dPAN value,and the account number for device 5, it may forward all three datum tothe issuing bank 60 so that the issuing bank can correlate the dPAN tothe account number of device 5. The above codes and actions can beimplemented with conventional I/O instructions, memory accessinstructions, CPU arithmetic instructions, CPU logic instructions, andCPU control instructions. In view of this disclosure, the codes may beimplemented by one of ordinary skill in the art without undueexperimentation.

Verification entity 80 may further comprise code that directs processor81 to send an alert text message to the communication device 7 of user 1or send an alert e-mail message to an e-mail account of user 1 when oneor more of the following events occurs: (1) when verification token 40initiates communications with entity 80, (2) when verification token 40reads a portable consumer device 5 of user 1, (3) when verificationentity 80 receives identification information from a portable consumerdevice 5 or a verification token 40 associated with user 1, (4) whenverification entity 80 validates said identification information, (5)when verification entity 80 sends a dCVV2 value to verification token40. The alerts sent by entity 80 may include information related to theevents that triggered the alerts, such as a portion of the accountnumber involved. The alert text messages may be sent from networkingfacility 84 to an SMS relay server 35 that is coupled to one ofcommunications networks 31 and 32, along with the phone number ornetwork address of the user's communication device 7. The SMS relayserver has an interface to one or more mobile communication networks,and can relay the text message to the phone number or network addressprovided by processor 81. Validation entity 80 may comprise the relayserver. Email alerts may be sent directly to the user's e-mail accountfrom networking facility 84. For this, networking facility 84 maycomprise a conventional mail agent, which is well known to the art.

Validation entity 80 may comprise a website accessible to the user 1that enables the user: (1) to create a password-protected accountassociated with the serial number of the token, the latter of which maybe provided on a slip of paper originally sent with the token; (2) toassociate an e-mail address to be used for one or more of theabove-described alerts; (3) to associate a mobile number and/or URID(e.g., network address) of the user's communications device 5 to be usedfor one or more of the above-described alerts; and (4) to select one ormore of the above-described alert conditions. The website may alsoenable the user to provide and associate the account numbers for one ormore of the user's devices 5 with the password-protected account, andmay further enable the user to associate the e-mails and mobile numbersfor the alerts to particular devices 5 according to their accountnumbers. One of databases 86 may be assigned to hold thepassword-protected accounts of the users. When validation entity 80receives a validation request from verification token 40, it can querythis database to find the user's password-protected account (e.g.,identify the user from the token's serial number and/or the accountnumber sent in the identification information), and determine what textmessage alerts are to be generated and sent based on the parametersstored in the password-protected account. The above codes and actionscan be implemented with HTML page codes (e.g., web pages), conventionalI/O instructions, memory access instructions, database API functioncalls, CPU arithmetic instructions, CPU logic instructions, and CPUcontrol instructions. In view of this disclosure, the codes may beimplemented by one of ordinary skill in the art without undueexperimentation.

In cases where validation entity 80 sends a dPAN to a verificationtoken, it may send an e-mail alert and/or text alert to the userproviding the user with a transaction number that has been associatedwith the dPAN. The transaction number can enable the user to more easilyreturn goods purchased in the transaction.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment 180 of a method that can beused by validation entity 80. Exemplary method 180 comprises a pluralityof actions 181-186. Action 181 comprises establishing a communicationlink between validation entity 80 and a verification token 40 using anetworking facility of validation entity 80. Action 182 comprisesreceiving encrypted identification information pertaining to device 5and/or token information (e.g., serial number and encrypted message)sent by verification token 40. Action 183 comprises decrypting theencrypted information (e.g., encrypted identification information and/orencrypted message from the token). Action 184 comprises applying atleast one validation test to the decrypted information. Action 185comprises transmitting, if a selected number of validation tests arepassed, a device verification value to verification token 40 andoptionally to payment processing network 70. In some implementations, adPAN may be transmitted, as described above. Action 186 comprisesidentifying the user from the identification information, and sendingtext and/or email alerts to the user as specified in the user'spassword-protected account.

Yet further embodiments and implementations are described.

It may be appreciated that some implementations of verification token 40may be configured to work with selected consumer payment devices 5, suchas those issued by a selected bank, or configured to work with aselected merchant website 20.

In yet further implementations, verification token 40 may contain theURID of validation entity 80, which handles validation requests forseveral different co-branded portable consumer devices 5. In addition,each of these co-branded devices 5 may hold a URID to a co-brandingmerchant. The merchant URID is read by verification token 40 andprovided to a validation entity along with the device's identificationinformation. Validation entity 80 can send the validated identificationinformation to the merchant URID.

Embodiments of the invention are not limited to authentication systemsinvolving transactions. The same approach could be applied for otherauthentication systems. For example, embodiments could be used toauthenticate a user using an online banking application. A cardholdermay enter his user ID into a banking website. The cardholder can thenpresent his or her portable consumer device to a verification token. Thebanking website can validate the User ID and the token credentials bycommunicating with a validation entity.

Embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above-describedembodiments. For example, although separate functional blocks are shownfor an issuer, payment processing system, and acquirer, some entitiesperform all of these functions and may be included in embodiments ofinvention.

In each of the embodiments described herein, the communications betweencomputer 10 and validation entity 80 may be facilitated by, and/orconveyed through, a gateway (e.g., a proxy server, server entity, etc.)that is disposed between computer 10 and validation entity 80. Such agateway is shown at 90 in FIG. 8. Gateway 90 may act as an intermediarybetween a plurality of verification tokens 40-A, 40-B, . . . and theirassociated computers 10-A, 10-B, . . . on the one side, and a pluralityof validation entities 80-A, 80-B, . . . on the other side. Tokens 40-A,40-B, . . . may be constructed and configured the same as token 40 shownin FIG. 1, and may interact with respective computers 10-A, 10B, . . . ,respective users 1-A, 1-B, . . . , and respective portable consumerdevices 5-A, 5-B, . . . . Computers 10-A, 10B, . . . may be the same ascomputer 10 shown in FIG. 1, and may be coupled to the firstcommunications networks 31, as described above. First communicationsnetwork 31, second communications network 32, merchant websites 20,acquiring banks 50, issuing banks 60, and payment processing network 70are coupled to one another as described above. First and secondcommunications networks 31, 32 are also coupled to a plurality ofvalidation entities 80-A, 80-B, 80-C, , each of which may be constructedand configured the same as validation entity 80 shown in FIG. 1.

In the below discussion of the embodiments and implementations shown inFIG. 8, a reference number without a suffix -A, -B, or -C genericallyrefers to each of the suffixed items (e.g., entity 80 refers to each of80-A, 80-B, 80-C).

Gateway 90 may receive one or more initial communications from one ofverification tokens 40-A, 40-B, . . . (via one of computer 10-A, 10B, .. . in communication with the token), and may determine from informationin the initial communication(s) an appropriate one of a plurality ofvalidation entities 80-A, 80-B, 80-C, . . . to use to fulfill thetoken's request for a dCVV2 value. For example, each verification token40-A, 40-B, . . . may be configured to operate with portable consumerdevices 5 issued by many different issuing banks 60 or other suchentities, and one or more of the validation entities 80 may beconfigured to process requests from portable consumer devices 5 issuedby respective issuing banks 60 or other such entities. Gateway 90 maydetermine an appropriate one of validation entities 80-A, 80-B, 80-C, .. . based upon the identification information that the token read from aportable consumer device and sent to the gateway in an initialcommunication. For example, a portion of the account number in theidentification information may comprises an unique identifier assignedto the bank 60 that issued the portable consumer devices 5 from whichthe identification information was read.

In one implementation, after gateway 90 has determined an appropriatevalidation entity for the token's request, the gateway may redirect thetoken to conduct further communications with the determined appropriatevalidation entity, or may direct the determined validation entity tocontact the token to conduct further communications. In anotherimplementation, all communications between the verification token andthe determined appropriate validation entity may be conveyed throughgateway 90 (after the gateway has initially determined the identity ofthe appropriate validation entity based upon one or more initialcommunications with the token). This latter implementation may compriserelatively simple passing through of communications between the tokenand the appropriate validation entity with minimal processing by gateway90, or may comprise having the gateway virtually presenting itself asthe appropriate validation entity to the verification token. Suchvirtual presentation may involve gateway 90 decrypting each message fromthe verification token, communicating with the appropriate validationentity to formulate a response to the token's message, and encryptingand sending a response message to the verification token. In each of theabove implementations, and in other implementations, gateway 90 may alsoconduct one or more validation tests on behalf of the appropriatevalidation entity, particularly those related to validating theverification token. In this case, the gateway does not need to send tothe determined appropriate validation entity those communications itreceives from the token that pertain to validation tests that thegateway is handling. Gateway 90 may be associated with, or operated by,payment processing, network 70 or the owner thereof. It may beappreciated that, in each of these implementations, Gateway 90 acts asan entity that can provide a device verification value (dCVV2 value) totoken 40, just as in the case that validation entity 80 can provide adevice verification value to token 40 when entity 80 is directlycontacted by token 40.

Referring to FIG. 8, gateway 90 comprises a system having one or moreservers coupled to a communications network that can receive a requestfrom a verification token 40 to process, as described above. One of theservers of gateway 90 is shown in FIG. 8; the server comprises one ormore processors 91 electrically coupled to each of a tangiblecomputer-readable medium 92, a user interface 93, one or more databases96, and a networking facility 94, the latter of which is coupled tofirst and second communications networks 31 and 32. User interface 93comprises one or more video output devices (e.g., displays, screens) andone or more input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, trackball, etc.),which enable an administrator of gateway 90 to receive information fromthe server and to provide input to the server. Computer-readable medium92 may comprise a combination of semiconductor memory and non-volatilestorage, such as one or more disk drives and/or non-volatile memory.

Computer-readable medium 92 stores an operating system for the server,which enables processes and applications to be run by processor(s) 91,and enables codes for directing the operation of processor(s) 91 to berun. The operating system provides services to these processes andapplications, and enables these processes and applications to accesscomponents of user interface 93, portions of computer-readable medium92, networking facility 94, and other components of entity 90. Theoperating system may be full featured. Specifically, the operatingsystem provides one or more I/O communications modules that enableprocessor(s) 91 to communicate with user interface 93 and databases 96.Each I/O communications module has an application programming interface(API) with a collection of functions that a processor 91 can call inorder to access the components. The operating system of entity 90 alsocomprises one or more network services modules that can accessnetworking facility 94 and set up communication sessions to entities oncommunications networks 31 and 32, and with SMS relay server 35. Suchnetwork services modules include Microsoft's Windows CommunicationsFoundation (e.g., .NET 3.0, .NET 4.0, etc.), Apple's CFNetworkFramework, the networking section of the Unix and Linux operating systemkernels, and the OS Services Layer and the Base Services Layer of theSymbian operating system, and the like. Each of these network servicesmodules can be non-exclusive (e.g., capable of serving more than oneprocessor and more than one process/application) and each provides anapplication programming interface (API), which has a collection offunctions that a processor 91 can call in order to manage communicationswith another entity. With these API facilities, a collection of APIfunction calls can be readily constructed for a processor to executethat enables the processor to establish a communications channel with anentity on a communications network coupled to networking facility 94,and to exchange messages and data with the entity. The above operatingsystem, modules, and APIs all include instructions that direct theoperation of processor(s) 91.

One or more databases 96 may be configured as database servers, whichprocessor(s) 91 can access via networking facility 94 over a privatecommunications network 97, which is illustrated by the dashed line inFIG. 8. Gateway 90 conventionally has a clock 98 for tracking time anddates for various applications. Clock 98 may be a simple counter ofseconds, or fractions thereof, that can be read by processor 91 by anI/O operation, or may comprise a more complex arrangement of hardware orfirmware that can provide the various components of the current date andtime (year, month, day, hour, minute, and second) in various registersthat can be read by processor 91 through the execution of one or moreI/O operations.

Gateway 90 may comprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 92that directs data processor 91 to communicate with a computer 10 and anassociated verification token 40 using networking facility 94 overcommunications network 31. This code may include instructions thatestablish a communications session with computer 10, including theoption of establishing an SSL session with mutual authentication andencryption based on a triple DES algorithm, and instructions for sendingand receiving messages to verification token 40 through thecommunications session. Gateway 90 may further comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 92 that directs data processor 91 to receiveencrypted identification information sent by verification token 40, andcode that directs data processor 91 to decrypt the encryptedidentification information. The identification information may beencrypted by a session key of an SSL session or by an encryption keystored in verification token 40 and known to gateway 90, or may bedoubly encrypted by both keys. The latter key may be uniquely assignedto the token, as described above. Gateway 90 may further comprise codeembodied on computer-readable medium 92 that directs data processor 91to determine, from the received identification information and/or thetoken's identity (e.g., the token's serial number), the appropriate oneof the validation entities 80-A, 80-B, 80-C, . . . to be used forfurther processing of the request from verification token 40. For this,data processor 91 may access one of databases 96 for a correlation listthat relates identification information (or portions thereof) tovalidation entities 80, and/or for a correlation list that relates tokenidentifiers to validation entities 80, and may then compare theinformation received from the token 40 with the correlation list(s) todetermine the appropriate one of the validation entities 80. Gateway 90may further comprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 92 thatdirects data processor 91 to apply one or more validation tests aspreviously described above, and to continue processing the request fromtoken 40 if a selected number of validation tests are passed. Variousways of continuing the processing are described below in variouspossible implementations of gateway 90. The above codes for gateway 90,and codes for gateway 90 described below, may be implemented in anynumber of programming languages. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill inthe art will be readily able to construct instructions to implementthese codes in view of this disclosure without undue experimentation.

In one implementation, gateway 90 may further comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 92 that directs data processor 91 to send acommunication to token 40 (by way of its associated computer 10)informing the token to contact the determined appropriate validationentity 80 to obtain a dCVV2 value. This communication may include a URIDfor the determined appropriate validation entity. Token 40 may thencommunicate with the determined appropriate entity 80 as describedabove, and no changes to entity 80 are needed. In this implementation ofgateway 90, the code may further direct data processor 91 to send acommunication to the determined appropriate validation entity 80 thatinforms the entity of the request from the token 40 (along with anindication of the identification information sent by token 40), andinforms the entity that the token 40 will be contacting it for a dCVV2value for the identification information (as sent to gateway 90 by thetoken 40). This communication by gateway 90 can serve as an additionalsecurity measure that assures the appropriate validation entity 80 thatthe subsequent contact by token 40 is legitimate.

In another implementation, gateway 90 may further comprise code embodiedon computer-readable medium 92 that directs data processor 91 to send acommunication to the determined appropriate validation entity 80 with anindication of the identification information received from theverification token 40, and with a request for the validation entity togenerate a dCVV2 value for the identification information and to sendthe dCVV2 value to the verification token 40 (by way of its associatedcomputer 10). This communication may include a URID for the verificationtoken 40. The codes of the validation entity 80 previously describedabove may be augmented to direct the entity's processor 81 to receiveabove-described communication from gateway 90, and to initiatecommunications with the requesting token 40. The codes of validationentity 80 need not need to direct the entity's processor 81 to receivethe identification information from the requesting token (as that mayhave been provided to the entity by gateway 90); however, as an addedsecurity measure, the requesting token 40 may provide the identificationinformation to entity 80, and the entity may include the code to receivethe identification information from the token. In this implementation ofgateway 90, the code for gateway 90 may further direct data processor 91to send a communication to the verification token 40 (via the associatecomputer 10) informing the token that the determined appropriatevalidation entity 80 will be communication with it to potentially send adCVV2 value.

In yet another implementation of gateway 90, the gateway may furthercomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 92 that directs dataprocessor 91 to: (1) send the initial communication from the requestingtoken 40 and/or an indication of the identification information sent bythe requesting token 40 to the determined appropriate validation entity80 to obtain a dCVV2 value; (2) to receive back a dCVV2 value from theappropriate validation entity 80; and (3) to send the dCV2 value to theverification token 40. This implementation of gateway 90 enables avalidation entity 80 to omit the code for establishing communicationswith the computer 10 used by the requesting verification token 40 (thattask may be handled by gateway 90). Those codes of entity 80 describedabove that direct communications with token 40 may be modified to directthe communications to gateway 90 instead. This implementation of gateway90 enables the requests from many tokens 40 to be grouped together formore efficient handling by entity 80. In addition, since gateway 90 isvirtually presenting itself to the verification token 40 as a validationentity, gateway 90 can serve as an Internet firewall and protect thevalidation entities 80-A. 80-B., . . . from malicious Internet attacks.

In yet another implementation, gateway 90 handles the initialcommunications with token 40 to determine the appropriate validationentity 80, and then hands over the communication channel to thedetermined validation entity 80 to complete the fulfillment of thetoken's request. All communications between the requesting token 40 andthe determined entity 80 may be conveyed through gateway 90. If gateway90 has previously established an SSL session with the requesting token40, gateway 90 may send the session key(s) and protocols to thedetermined entity 80 so that the entity can take over the session (e.g.,take over encrypting the communications to the token with the sessionkeys and protocols). For this implementation, gateway 90 may furthercomprise code embodied on computer-readable medium 92 that directs dataprocessor 91 to (1) send a communication to the determined appropriatevalidation entity 80 with an indication that it is to handle furthercommunications with the requesting token (as routed through gateway 90)and, optionally, session information (which may include SSL session keysand protocols), (2) to forward further communications that gateway 90receives from the requesting token 40 to the determined entity 80, and(3) to forward communications that gateway 90 receives from thedetermined entity 80 to the requesting token 40. For this, gateway 90may maintain a table in memory or one of its databases 96 that trackschannels that are currently being passed through gateway 90, with eachrecord in the table having the identity of the requesting token, thedetermined validation entity, and session information. To carry out theabove second action, the code may direct processor 91 to access thechannel table to locate the determined entity 80 for the requestingtoken 40, an to then forward the communication packets from therequesting token to the entity that was located in the table. Gateway 90may encapsulate these forwarded communication packets to preserve theirheader information, and may include an indication of the identity of therequesting token 40 for the benefit of the determined entity 80. Tofacilitate the above third action, the determined validation entity 80may send its communication packets for the requesting token 40 togateway 90 in encapsulated form, optionally along with an identifierthat identifies the requesting token in the capsule. Gateway 90 can theninclude code that directs its data processor 91 to extract, from theencapsulated packet, the token identifier and the packet that is to besent to the requesting token 40. If the extracted packet already has thedestination address for the computer 10 coupled to the requesting token40, then the encapsulated packet does not need to include the identityof the requesting token. If the extracted packet does not include thedestination address, the code of gateway 90 may direct data processor 91to determine the destination address from the extracted token identifierand the above-described table of channel information, and to insert thedetermined destination address into the extracted packet before sendingit to computer 10. This action can provide an additional layer ofsecurity. In addition, since gateway 90 is virtually presenting, itselfto the verification token 40 as a validation entity, gateway 90 canserve as an Internet firewall and protect the validation entities 80-A.80-B., . . . from malicious Internet attacks.

The above implementation of gateway 90 enables a validation entity 80 toomit the code for establishing communications with the computer 10 usedby the requesting verification token 40 (that task is handled by gateway90), and to include code that directs processor 81 to receive theindication from gateway 90 that it is to handle further communicationswith the requesting token 40 (as routed through gateway 90) and,optionally, to receive the session information for the furthercommunications (which may include SSL session keys and protocols). Thosecodes of entity 80 described above that direct communications with token40 may be modified to direct the communications through gateway 90. Forthis, validation entity 80 may further comprise code embodied oncomputer-readable medium 82 that directs data processor 81 to create andmaintain a table in memory or one of its databases 86 that trackschannels that are have been handed over from gateway 90; each record inthe table may have the identity of the requesting token, theidentification information of gateway 90, and the session information.The communication codes of entity 80 may be modified to receiveencapsulated communication packets from gateway 90, to extract fromthese packets the communication packets from token 40, and to consultthe above table to find the identity of token 40 and session informationif such cannot be determined from source address of the extractedcommunication packets or any token identity sent by gateway 90 in thecapsulated packets. The communication codes of entity 80 may also bemodified to encapsulate the communication packets for token 40 inpackets to be sent to gateway 90, optionally along with an identifierthat identifies the requesting token in the capsule, and to send theencapsulated communication packets to gateway 90.

From the above description, it may be appreciated that validationentities 80 and gateway 90 are separate entities from computers 10, andare separate entities from verification tokens 40. It may also beappreciated that in several embodiments and implementations thereof thatcomputers 10, validation entities 80, and gateway 90 are addressed asseparate network nodes on communications network 31 (e.g., havedifferent network addresses in the communication packets), and thattokens 40 communicate through the network nodes of computers 10 toentities 80 and/or gateway 90 (e.g., computers 10 construct and decodenetwork communication packets for tokens 40). it may be also appreciatedthat, in several embodiments and implementations of token 40, token 40may unconditionally send the read identification information tovalidation entity 80 and/or gateway 90 without requiring a validationbetween the token and the user, such as may be provided by the entry ofa PIN or the provision of a biometric sample (e.g., fingerprint); andthat token 40 may send the read identification information in arelatively short amount of time (such as within one minute of beingread, and typically within ten seconds).

It may be appreciated that Embodiments of the invention enable a user toobtain adynamic device verification value for a portable consumer device5, such as a credit card, which the user can provide to a merchant siteas payment data for completing a purchase transaction. The dynamicdevice verification value reduces the potential for fraud by thirdparties that may fraudulently obtain the account number of the portableconsumer device (e.g., through skimming). In addition, the interactionof the portable consumer device with the verification token 40 enablesthe token to effectively inform the validation entity 80 that theportable consumer device 5 was physically in the presence of the tokenat the time the request for the device verification value was made,thereby providing a “card present” status for online purchases made withthe portable consumer device. Embodiments of the invention also haveutility in providing device verification values to the user in a highlysecure manner, thereby enhancing security and reducing fraudulent use ofcredit cards. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention providethese services and benefits to the user with a very high “ease of use”factor.

It should be understood that various embodiments of the presentinvention as described above can be implemented in the form of controllogic using computer software in a modular or integrated manner. Basedon the disclosure and teachings provided herein, a person of ordinaryskill in the art will know and appreciate other ways and/or methods toimplement embodiments of the present invention using hardware and acombination of hardware and software.

Any of the software components or functions described in thisapplication, may be implemented as software code to be executed by aprocessor using any suitable computer language such as, for example, C,C++, C#, Java, C++or Perl using, for example, conventional'orobject-oriented techniques. The software code may be stored as a seriesof instructions, or commands on a computer-readable medium, such as arandom access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a magnetic mediumsuch as a hard-drive or a floppy disk, or an optical medium such as aCD-ROM. Any such computer-readable medium may reside on or within asingle computational apparatus, and may be present on or withindifferent computational apparatuses within a system or network.

The above description is illustrative and is not restrictive. Manyvariations of the invention and embodiments thereof will become apparentto those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure. The scope ofthe invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to theabove description, but instead should be determined with reference tothe pending claims along with their full scope or equivalents.

One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one ormore features of any other embodiment without departing from the scopeof the invention.

A recitation of “a”, “an” or “the” is intended to mean “one or more”unless specifically indicated to the contrary.

All patents, patent applications, publications, and descriptionsmentioned above are herein incorporated by reference in their entiretyfor all purposes. None is admitted to be prior art.

1. A verification token comprising: a peripheral interface adapted tocouple to a peripheral interface of a computer; a reader adapted to readidentification information from portable consumer devices; acomputer-readable medium; a data processor electrically coupled to theperipheral interface of the verification token, the reader, and thecomputer-readable medium; code embodied on the computer-readable mediumthat directs the data processor to receive identification informationread from a portable consumer device by the reader; code embodied on thecomputer-readable medium that directs the data processor to communicatewith a computer by way of the peripheral interface of the verificationtoken and to access to a networking facility of the computer; codeembodied on the computer-readable medium that directs the data processorto establish, using the networking facility of the computer,communications with an entity that can provide a device verificationvalue; code embodied on the computer-readable medium that directs thedata processor to transmit at least a portion of the receivedidentification information to the entity by way of the networkingfacility of the computer; and code embodied on the computer-readablemedium that directs the data processor to receive, after transmittingsaid identification information, a device verification value from theentity by way of the networking facility of the computer.
 2. Theverification token of claim 1, wherein the peripheral interface of theverification token comprises a universal serial bus connector.
 3. Theverification token of claim 1, wherein the identification information isencrypted and includes an account number of a portable consumer deviceand at least one of the following: a digital fingerprint of a magneticstripe of the portable consumer device, or a variable datum that varieseach time the portable consumer device is read for its identificationinformation.
 4. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the code thatdirects the data processor to communicate with a computer comprises codethat directs the data processor to send a device driver to the computerand an instruction to install the device driver in the computer'soperating system, wherein the device driver enables the computer torecognize the verification token and communicate with the verificationtoken; wherein the code that directs the data processor to access to anetworking facility of the computer comprises a function call to anetwork services module of the computer's operating system, and whereinthe code that directs the data processor to establish communicationswith the entity using the networking facility of the computer comprisesone or more function calls to an application program interface of thenetwork services module of the computer, the one or more function callsproviding a universal resource identifier of an entity and aninstruction to establish a communications session with the entity, theuniversal resource identifier being stored in the computer-readablemedium or read from the portable consumer device.
 5. The verificationtoken of claim 1 further comprising a serial number and an encryptionkey, and wherein the verification token transmits the serial number anda message encrypted by the encryption key to the entity, the serialnumber and the encryption key being uniquely assigned to theverification token.
 6. The verification token of claim 1, furthercomprising: code embodied on the computer-readable medium that directsthe data processor to locate a browser web page on the computer that hasa form field for a device verification value, and to enter the deviceverification value received from the entity in the form field.
 7. Theverification token of claim 1, further comprising: code embodied on thecomputer-readable medium that directs the data processor to display thedevice verification value received from the entity to the user on adisplay of the computer.
 8. The verification token of claim 1, whereinthe code that directs the data processor to receive the deviceverification value from the entity further directs the data processor toreceive a dynamic account number from the entity.
 9. The verificationtoken of claim 8, further comprising: code embodied on thecomputer-readable medium that directs the data processor to locate abrowser web page on the computer that has a first form field for anaccount number and a second form field for a device verification value,and to fill the first field with the dynamic account number and thesecond field with the device verification value received from theentity.
 10. The verification token of claim 8, further comprising: codeembodied on the computer-readable medium that directs the data processorto display the dynamic account number and the device verification valuereceived from the entity to the user on a display device of thecomputer.
 11. The verification token of claim 1, further comprising:code embodied on the computer-readable medium that directs the dataprocessor to prompt a user to enter a password on a keyboard of thecomputer, to read a password entered by the user, and to compare theentered password against a stored password embodied on thecomputer-readable medium; and code embodied on the computer-readablemedium that directs the data processor to prevent identificationinformation from at least being read or sent when the read password isnot the same as the stored password.
 12. A method comprising:establishing a communications link between a verification token and acomputer, the computer having a networking facility; establishing, usingthe networking facility of the computer, a communications sessionbetween the verification token and an entity that can provide a deviceverification value; reading identification information from a portableconsumer device into the verification token; transmitting the readidentification information from the verification token to the entitythrough the communications session, the read identification informationbeing transmitted to the entity in an encrypted form; and aftertransmitting the identification information, receiving, at theverification token, a device verification value from the entity by wayof the communications session.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising encrypting, in the verification token, at least a portion ofthe identification information read from the portable consumer deviceusing an encryption key stored in the verification token.
 14. The methodof claim 12 further comprising: prompting a user to enter a passwordinto the computer; reading a password entered by the user; comparing theentered password against a password stored in the verification token;and preventing identification information from at least being read orsent when the read password is not the same as the stored password. 15.The method of claim 12 further comprising: transmitting from theverification token to the entity through the communications session aserial number stored in the verification token and a message encryptedby an encryption key stored in the verification token, the serial numberand the encryption key being uniquely assigned to the verificationtoken.
 16. The method of claim 12 further comprising at least one of theactions of: displaying the device verification value received from theentity to the user on a display of the computer; and locating a browserweb page on the computer that has a form field for a device verificationvalue, and entering the device verification value received from theentity in the form field.
 17. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising, after transmitting the identification information:receiving, at the verification token, a dynamic account number from theentity by way of the communications session.
 18. The method of claim 17,further comprising: locating a browser web page on the computer that hasa first form field for an account number and a second form field for adevice verification value; and filling the first field with the dynamicaccount number and the second field with the device verification valuereceived from the entity.
 19. A method comprising: coupling averification token to a computer using a peripheral interface of thecomputer, the computer having a networking facility, the verificationtoken comprising a peripheral interface adapted to couple to theperipheral interface of the computer, a reader adapted to readidentification information from portable consumer devices, acomputer-readable medium, and a data processor, the verification tokenbeing configured to read identification information of a portableconsumer device using the reader and to obtain a device verificationvalue therefor from a first entity using the networking facility of thecomputer; presenting a portable consumer device to the reader of theverification token to obtain a device verification value for theportable consumer device; and providing the obtained device verificationvalue to a second entity.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:presenting a password to the verification token.